Lifeboat launching and releasing device



y 194% J. 'r. DAHL LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING AND RELEASING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8,1938 ran Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING ANDRELEAS-ING DEVICE James T. Dahl, Seattle, Wash., assignor of twenty-fiveper cent to William Winslow, Wash.

E. Lovell,

Application August s, 1998, Serial No. 223,685

1 Claim. (01. 9-22) tackle releasing device for a lifeboat which can bereadily secured thereto, which comprises a minimum of parts, which isfool proof and which can be easily operated to effect the prompt andpositive release of the lifeboat after it is afloat.

Another object of this invention is to provide a launching device forlifeboats on sea going ves sels comprising a chuck for supporting thelifeboat and a releasing and launching device fitted to the chuck forlocking engagement with the gunwale and keel of the lifeboat whichcomprises a minimum of parts, which is fool proof and which can beeasily operated to effect the prompt and positive release of thelifeboat.

With the foregoing and other objects in View,

' the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination ofparts and in the details of construction hereinafter described andclaimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment ofthe invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what isclaimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment'of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, where-' in:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lifeboat showing detailsof the tackle releasing mechanism.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view showing the lifeboat launchingmechanism with a transverse portion of the lifeboat shown in section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription, and designated in the several views of the accompanyingdrawing, by similar reference characters.

In Figure 1 of the drawing, the keel, bow and sternposts of a lifeboatare designated respectively IO, N and I 2. The lifeboat releasing deviceembodies similar units of which one is secured to the bow post II andthe other to the stern post l2. Each unit comprises a bracket [3 fixedto the post by rivets or bolts M, at the upper end of which is formed alatch support l5, and at the lower end of which is formed a leversupport l6.

Arranged for pivotal movement on the base I! of the latch support I 5 isa trigger bar I 8,

provided intermediate its ends with an opening I9 through which isadapted to extend the arm 2| of a latch 20. The latch is of right angle7 form comprising a vertical arm 2| and a horizontal arm 22,whichextends between upstanding ears 2 3 of the latch support l5 andpivotally connected thereto as at 24. Carried by the latch 20 is a chainlink of a lifeboat tackle line 26, only the lower end of which is shown.

Pivotally mounted as at 28 on the lower support [6 is a bell crank lever29 which in the normal inoperative position thereof provides anupstanding arm 30 and an inclined arm 3i. Pivotally connected as at 32and 33, respectively, to the ends of the trigger bar I8 and inclined arm3| is a link 34.

Attached on the keel In of the lifeboat are spaced guide blocks 35 and apedestal 36, which pivotally supports as at 31 an operating arm 38,comprising a horizontal handle 39 and oppositely extending lugs 40 and4|. Extending through the guide blocks 35 is a slide bar 42, renderedadjustable in length through" the intermediary of a turnbuckle 43. Theend of the slide bar 42 adjacent the bow post H is connected to the endof the upstanding arm 30 of the bell crank lever 29 by a link 45, and ina like manner the other end of the slide bar 42 is connected by means ofa link 46 to the end of the mg 40 of the operating armp The other lug Mof the'operating arm 38' is connected by a link 41 to the end of theupstanding arm 30 of the bell crank lever 29 mounted on the stern post i2.

The parts of the releasing device shown In Figure 1 are in their normalinoperative position, i. e. for locked connection with the tackle lines26. Thus the trigger bar I8 is in a horizontal position withthedepending latch arm 2| projecting through the opening I 9 therein. Aslong as the trigger bar l8 retains this horizontal position the tackleline 26 is positively connected with the latch 20 for supporting thelifeboat. After the lifeboat is lowered and floats on the water the sameis released from its tackle lines by merely pulling upwardly on thehandle 39 of the operating arm 38 in the direction of the arrow, whichmovement will impart to the links 34 a downward movement to release thetrigger bars I8 from their engagement with the latch arms 2! to therebyeffect an automatic release of the chain links 25 with the latches 20,the same readily becoming disengaged.

In Figure 2 is shown the launching mechanism for the lifeboat.

Mounted on the deck of the ship is a chock 50, shaped as at 5| to seatone side of the lifeboat and at 52 to seat the keel l0 thereof. Se-

cured to the upper end of the chock 50 is a .5

bracket 53 to the free end 54 of which is rigidly secured an inclinedpost 55, the upper end of which is adjacent the gunwale 56 of thelifeboat. Pivotally connected as at 51 to the upper end of the post is agunwale latch 58 which extends across the gunwale 56 and is providedwith a depending holding lug 59 engaging the inside of the gunwale inthe manner shown.

On the lower end of the post 55 is provided a pin 60 on which is adaptedto slide the slotted end SI of a keel latch bar 62, the other end of'which is formed with an upstanding holding lug- 63 for engagement withthe keel ll). Connecting the lower end of the post 55 with a, bracket 64fixed to the deck is a strutv 65 which serves to increase the rigidityof the post as well as to retain the slotted end 61 of the keel latchbar on the pin 60.

Supporting the other end of the keel latch bar 52 is a link 66 pivotedat its upper end to said keel latch bar as at 61, the lower end of thelink it being pivotally connected as at 68 to a bracket support 69mounted on the deck, the arrangement of said link being such thatforward movement of the keel latch bar, in the manner to be hereinafterdescribed, will cause the link 66 to swing on its pivot 68 whereby toguide the keel latch bar downwardly out of engagement with the keel I 0to a position where the holding lug 63 wholly clears the same.

At a suitable point on the keel latch bar 62 is pivotally connected asat 10, the lower end of a control link H, the upper end of which ispivotally connected as at 12 to an intermediate portion of the operatinghandle 13 arranged substantially co-extensive with the control link H.Pivotally connected to the lowermost end of the operating handle as at15 (see dotted line position of parts) is the lower end of an uppercontrol link 76, the upper end of which is pivotally connected as at ITto a suitable portion of the gunwale latch 52 adjacent its pivotalmounting 51.

The position of the parts of the launching mechanism is that for itslocked engagement with the lifeboat; thus, the gunwale latch 52 engagesthe gunwale 56 and the keel latchbar engages the keel I0, both latchelements. hold-.-

ing the lifeboat in position on the chock 50. To release the launchingmechanism, all that is necessary is to merely pull the operating handle13 down as far as it will go, see dotted line position. This downwardmovement will simultaneously release the gunwale latch 58 and the keellatch bar 62, through the medium ofthe movements imparted respectivelyto the upper control link 16 and the lower control link H. The uppercontrol link 16 operates to raise the gunwale latch 58 to effectdisengagement thereof with the gunwale, see dotted lines, while thelower control link 16, imparts a forward and downward movement to thekeel latch bar to effect disengagement thereof with the keel H3 in themanner as described above. When so released by this simple movement ofthe operating handle 13-, the lifeboat will quickly slide off of thechock to be launched in the manner well known.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

A lifeboat launching device comprising a chock seating the keel and oneside of said lifeboat, a bracket fixed to said chock, a post carried bysaid bracket, a gunwale latch pivotally connected to the upper end ofsaid post for engagement with the gunwale of the lifeboat, a keel latchbar slidably mounted on the lower end. of said post and engagingthekeel. alinkage mechanism operatively connecting said gunwale latch andsaid keel latch bar, an operating handle for said linkage mechanism,said linkage mechanism comprising an upper control link pivotallyconnected at its upper end to said gun- Wale latch and a lower controllink pivotallyv connected at its lower end to said keel latch bar, thelower control link being pivotally connected at its upper end to anintermediate portion of said handle, the upper control link beingpivotally connected at its lower end to an end portion of said handle ata point below the pivotal connection of said lower control link thereto,the arrangement of said control links and handle being such that adownward movement of said handle will impart an upward movement of theupper control link and a downward movement. of. the lower controllink.

JAMES T; DAHL.

